Bartholomew Medical Group

Promised callback never arrived for urgent concern

A family member who recently experienced a serious health event contacted the surgery to speak with a clinician. They were advised that someone would return their call. However, the call has not yet been received. This delay in response was very disappointing.

Reception dismissed concerns without proper explanation

I have been a patient at this practice for several years. Recently, my daughter received a call regarding a knee condition requiring surgical intervention. During this conversation, the healthcare professional suggested she should change practices, stating that she was outside the catchment area. I find this concerning given that the practice's website indicates they do accept patients from outside the area, provided home visits are not required. We have documentation of this policy and have retained copies. I have since made a formal complaint to the appropriate regulatory body regarding this experience.

Phone lines improved and staff were kind

I've had a really positive experience at this practice. The telephone service has improved significantly, and the staff are consistently friendly and welcoming. The clinical team has been very attentive and quick to respond to my needs.

Friendly reception and smooth appointment booking

The reception team has consistently been welcoming and pleasant. Scheduling appointments has been straightforward without any issues, and waiting times have been reasonable. The entire staff have provided positive interactions throughout visits for both family members of different ages.

Long wait to speak with someone

The wait time to reach someone for a consultation extends well beyond an hour and a half.

Couldn't get through on the phone

No feedback to share lol

Reception staff unhelpful and dismissive

I had a disappointing experience with the reception staff. I felt that my enquiry could have been addressed, but it seemed like assistance wasn't forthcoming. I also noticed the staff member appeared dismissive toward another patient ahead of me.

Reception staff wouldn't book my appointment

The reception team displayed an unhelpful approach during my attempts to arrange a medical appointment. Over several consecutive days, I made multiple calls seeking to see a healthcare professional regarding concerns following a procedure, yet each time I was given various reasons why an appointment could not be booked. It appeared that the reception staff lacked the necessary knowledge and capability to handle my request appropriately.

Turned away for being fifteen minutes late

I waited a month to see someone about a swollen joint, and when I eventually got an appointment, I arrived fifteen minutes late due to travel difficulties from my location. I was turned away and not seen. It was an extremely frustrating experience.

Reception staff were rude and dismissive

I can only give one star because lower ratings are not available. The reception staff member displayed poor customer service skills, coming across as aggressive, confrontational, and indifferent. The overall service experience was deeply unsatisfactory.

Hard to reach and reluctant to book appointments

Getting through is an absolute nightmare, and once you do manage it, it feels like the reception team is actively working against you being able to book an appointment. For instance, I've submitted an online enquiry before to avoid the hassle of calling. A clinician then texted to arrange an appointment as I needed to be seen urgently. When I called to book, I was told there were no available slots. This was the case for every other day of the week and the following week as well. Apparently, you have to ring at 8am on the day itself to secure an appointment. It doesn't make sense to be told appointments aren't available when a doctor has specifically asked you to call in. Similarly, today involved dealing with an unhelpful attitude from the call handler. After going back and forth and feeling like we were getting nowhere, I was eventually given an appointment. The customer service approach really needs to improve. If the staff handling calls aren't content with their day-to-day role of booking appointments and are choosing to be unwelcoming as a result, perhaps they should consider a different position.

Pharmacy referral left without prescription support

I was offered a pharmacy referral and accepted it, understanding the pressures on the service. I was content to skip a standard appointment if I could obtain medication through this route. However, when I attended the pharmacy, I was given a diagnosis and informed that the prescribed eye drops would cost more than a standard prescription charge. I requested a prescription instead. The pharmacy attempted to contact the surgery by phone to arrange this, but their calls went unanswered repeatedly. I then called the main line myself and was told a telephone appointment would be scheduled for the afternoon, but no call came through. As this occurred on a Friday, I was left without the medication I needed over the weekend. I found this experience frustrating and unhelpful. I will reconsider using the pharmacy referral service in future and will book a standard appointment instead. The overall service fell well short of expectations.

Poor communication about practice staffing changes

It appears there have been changes to the practice staffing, yet patients have not been informed about who their current family doctor is. I am unable to recall the last time I was able to have an in-person appointment with a GP. I am uncertain about how many doctors are currently working at the practice and who they are.

Reception staff were dismissive and unhelpful

This practice requires significant improvement. The service provided fell well short of acceptable standards and raised serious concerns about the quality of care.

Felt unheard and left without answers

Completely lacking in compassion and understanding. No assistance provided. No progress toward identifying the underlying issue. Would not recommend relying on this practice.

Hard to book appointments through the system

There are issues within the system, but the staff members and healthcare professionals are not at fault. The responsibility lies with government policy over the past decade, which has resulted in insufficient funding and inadequate staffing levels. We witness the effects of these decisions regularly in the media. Rather than directing blame toward those working within the service, we should focus on holding the appropriate authorities accountable and advocating for the future of our healthcare system before further deterioration occurs.

Rude reception staff made me feel unwelcome

The reception staff were exceptionally discourteous during my visit.

Can't get through on the phone anymore

It's difficult to reach the practice by telephone, there are limited appointment availability, and the designated pharmacy keeps being changed.

Impossible to reach through the busy phone lines

The telephone booking system is frustrating to navigate, with busy lines making it difficult to get through, and lengthy waiting times once connected, only to be informed that no appointments are available and the process must be repeated the following day. When I eventually secured a telephone consultation, it was scheduled three weeks ahead for my young children who had been experiencing severe gastrointestinal symptoms for several days, which felt inappropriate given the circumstances. I felt compelled to contact the out-of-hours service, and they acknowledged that the appointment system was problematic, subsequently arranging an alternative appointment at the hospital for me. Although I had reservations about accessing emergency services for what I considered a routine matter, I felt I had exhausted all other avenues and had no realistic alternative.

Couldn't get through on the phone

The telephone service has been extremely frustrating, with repeated unsuccessful attempts to get through. After spending a considerable amount of time waiting on a call, the interaction with the reception staff was disappointing, as they came across as unwelcoming and unhelpful. Overall, this experience has been very unsatisfactory.